


Homemade

by xenosaurus



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Established Relationship, Gossip, Lighthearted, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 03:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13673622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenosaurus/pseuds/xenosaurus
Summary: You’re supposed tomakesomething for Valentine’s Day.  Kanji isn’t a bad cook, but he’s better at handicrafts than he is in the kitchen.





	Homemade

**Author's Note:**

> this fic uses the generic "souji stays in inaba because canon isn't the boss of me" au
> 
> also in the past 24 hours my friend [briar](https://meriberries.tumblr.com) both beta'd this thing AND came over to make sure I didn't die after I spilled boiling water on myself so like. super credit to them, as well as all of my love.

“Have you seen what Tatsumi’s got?”

“I know! Who made that? She’s showing us all up! I asked Arishima-san, and she has no _idea_ who it is! You think it’s one of those upperclassmen he talks to?”

“No way it’s Amagi-senpai, she could have any guy she wants! Why would she pick Tatsumi?”

“Didn’t she run away last year? Maybe she _likes_ punks.”

“Ugh, but he stopped bleaching his hair, if she’s into the wild type wouldn’t she want someone even wilder?”

“Come on, it ain’t like that!” Kanji finally interrupts. He’s been listening in since one of his classmates said his name. Souji keeps saying the best way to keep from being the target of gossip is not to comment on it, and if it’s just about him, he can occasionally keep his head. Involving Yukiko, though, that’s more than he can stand.

When they were just praising the chocolates, that was easy to tune out. The chocolates deserve to be praised, after all. Souji made him multiple different styles, all tucked lovingly into a pink box and cushioned with white tissue paper. There are milk chocolate kittens, with dots of white chocolate for their noses and whiskers done in delicate icing. Along with them are white chocolate ladybugs, melted with a dash of red food coloring and decorated with heart-shaped spots made of dark chocolate. The last ones, and the most telling ones, aren’t actually all that fancy. To line the bottom of the box, Souji had covered some of Kanji’s favorite animal crackers in milk chocolate and sprinkled them with little sugar hearts.

It’s heartfelt, personal, and made with the kind of attention to detail that must have taken hours. Kanji knew he was getting chocolates, because Souji sent an adorable kitchen selfie with Nanako to the group chat last night, but this is something else.

Kanji keeps tearing up just looking at them, which may have contributed to his reluctance to speak up. His classmates are distracted by the chocolates themselves right now; they might not notice him getting all emotional over them.

“They aren’t from Yukiko-senpai,” Kanji insists, because the girls are now giving him weird looks. There’s no way these are Yukiko’s handiwork, for one thing, but she also doesn’t deserve to have weird rumors spread about her.

“Then who _are_ they from?” one of the girls demands. Her boldness sets off a wave of titters from her friends.

Kanji was already flustered, but that question rockets him up into full-on flailing.

“None of your business, that’s who!!”

“You think it’s a prank?” another girl whispers, just loud enough that Kanji can hear her.

“Nobody puts that much effort into a prank, don’t be dumb,” her friend responds, at regular volume.

“Fumi-chan, he can hear you!” the whispering girl says frantically.

“I can hear you already!” Kanji protests.

Before the situation can get even more chaotic, Naoto saves the day. Naoto usually saves the day; it’s sort of a theme in Kanji’s life now that Rise is back on tour.

“Kanji-kun. We should go check in on Yosuke-senpai before break is over. Souji-senpai mentioned some concerns on the way into school this morning.”

Kanji stands up so fast he actually knocks his chair over. He barely registers the crash, but does notice when Naoto sighs and picks it up without missing a beat. They’re been friends for quite a while and it shows.

“Y-Yeah! Great idea! Let’s go!”

Kanji does not run away from the situation. He makes a tactical exit, which is totally manly and does not make him a coward. Also, he remembers to bring his box of chocolates, so it’s fine.

*

They find the upperclassmen clustered together around Yukiko’s desk. Souji is the first one to look up when they walk in, and he brightens right away.

“Kanji-kun,” he says with a smile. He has a gentle smile, the kind that crinkles around his eyes and doesn’t quite show his teeth. It’s warm and soft and makes Kanji’s stomach do weird things. “You found your gift.”

“Yeah! They’re the cutest damn chocolates I’ve ever seen! They’re almost too cute to eat!!” Kanji blurts out. A few upperclassmen turn their heads towards the noise, but Kanji doesn’t notice them. Souji’s gone a bit pink, which is relentlessly adorable. An all-out assault on Kanji’s heart.

“I’m glad you like them. The heart sprinkles were Nanako’s idea,” Souji says. “I told her you were the one I was making them for and she got so serious.”

“She’s really rooting for you guys,” Chie says, fondly.

“Nanako-chan…,” Kanji says, his chest tight with emotion. “Now I’m even more glad I made her a present when I was working on yours!!”

“Of course you both made each other something,” Yosuke sighs. He’s been moping about being single on Valentine’s Day for days.

“What did you get him, Kanji-kun?” Yukiko asks. Kanji’s face feels really warm.

“I’m not gonna tell you!! That’d ruin the surprise!”

“You haven’t given it to him yet?” Yukiko asks. Kanji shoots Souji a nervous glance, but his boyfriend doesn’t seem disappointed at all. If anything, he’s looking even more pleased.

“It’s got lots of little pieces! Some of them could have gotten lost if I brought it to school!”

“I’m perfectly happy to wait,” Souji assures him.

“Well, if we can’t see Kanji’s present, let’s see what Souji made!” Chie says, peering at the box of chocolates in Kanji’s hands. After a moment of reluctance where the desire to share the cuteness fights the concern that Yosuke is going to try to eat them, Kanji lifts the top on the box.

Yukiko gasps and Chie’s eyes go wide with shock. Yosuke groans.

“Dude, partner, how long did that _take_? You know you guys are already dating, right?”

“Souji-kun! They’re amazing!” Yukiko says, leaning in to get a better look at the chocolates, her hands tucked into her chest like she’s resisting the urge to reach out and touch.

“They’re quite expertly made. I didn’t know your talent in the kitchen extended to sweets,” Naoto says thoughtfully.

“Aw man, your cooking is always so good… Blows the rest of us out of the water,” Chie sighs.

“Kanji, you, uh, planning on sharing those?” Yosuke asks, already reaching for the open box. Kanji closes the lid immediately and holds the box out of Yosuke’s reach.

“No way in hell! Get your own!”

Yosuke immediately turns his pleading eyes to Souji, who covers his mouth with his hand to hide a small laugh. Kanji’s heart melts every time he does that; it’s just too cute.

“Well, I don’t have anything from _me_ for you guys, but Nanako sent me with gifts.”

Souji pulls a bunch of little bags of chocolate from his bag, each one tied with a little bow.

Kanji’s kinda surprised that nobody cheers.

*

Kanji spends the day so enamored with his chocolates that he almost forgets to be nervous about his own gift for Souji. Now that they’re walking home together, those nerves are in full force.

No. Gotta be more positive. Kanji made Souji a bouquet of wool roses, hand knit in accurate colors. It took ages, but they’ll last longer than real flowers, and you’re supposed to _make_ something for Valentine’s Day. Kanji isn’t a bad cook, but he’s better at handicrafts than he is in the kitchen.

Souji has always loved his projects before, so he’ll like this one. At least, Kanji really, really hopes so.

When they finally get to Kanji’s place, he turns to Souji in the doorway.

“Wait here just a sec!”

Souji nods and watches patiently as Kanji tears off into his bedroom. The bouquet is sitting on his work table, where he’d spent hours last night working on finishing touches. Okay. Here we go. He’s totally got this.

He has no actual plan for handing the flowers over. He ends up thrusting them in Souji’s direction while shouting “THESE ARE FOR YOU.” It is not elegant.

Souji doesn’t seem to mind. His eyes light up as he accepts the gift.

“Kanji-kun, these are amazing,” he says, admiring the delicate needlework on the petals.

Even with the positive reaction, Kanji rubs the back of his neck, unsure how to explain his gift.

“I thought about getting you lots of junk, but you can keep these! They don’t die or nothin’,” he tries. “Should I have gone with animals, kittens would have been way cuter--”

Souji shuffles the bouquet around in his hands so he has one free to put on Kanji’s arm.

“They’re perfect. I love them.”

He gets up on his tiptoes then, closing the height difference until he can give Kanji a kiss.

And a heart attack, but the kiss feels more important.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is @[xenosaurus](http://xenosaurus.tumblr.com)


End file.
